It was one of Europe's greatest and longest lasting empires. By 1914 its emperor had ruled for more than six decades. And under the reign of Franz Joseph I, Jews throughout the Austro-Hungarian Empire had come out of the ghetto and into society. His picture adorned their living room walls; prayers for his health were in every siddur (prayer book). And the Empire's Jews hoped that the rising tide of nationalism would be kept at bay. But history had other plans. This film was produced in Vienna by Wolfgang Els and narrated by Morley Safer.

This golden age began in 1867 and came to an end with the outbreak of World War I. Learn more about Austria-Hungary's participation in World War I. In order to learn more about and the situation of Hungary after the end of World War I, read this article on the Treaty of Trianon of 1920, which was signed by the allies and Hungary after the dissolution of the Austro-Hungarian Dual Monarchy.

Even though the Hungarian government abolished anti-Jewish legislation after World War II, anti-Jewish sentiments continued. Learn more about anti-Semitism in post World War II and Communist Hungary in this article by Peter Kenez.